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5 Gift Ideas for the Man Who Has Everything

It’s been balls-to-the-wall over here and I apologize for taking so long since my last post.

At this time of year, sons and daughters, wives and girlfriends, and boyfriends are often confronted by a dilemma. What do you get the man who has everything?

It’s a tough predicament to be in. Those of us who are busy business owners and professionals are hard to shop for. In reality, we have everything we need, and furthermore we don’t want a lot of things. And those things we want; we can buy ourselves. It’s true. We can buy the shoes, clothes, books, and gadgets we want, ourselves. It makes the gift buying task for our loved ones a near impossibility. And you know it’s true. Your man wants a new set of headphones. A $400 pair of headphones. They want a new iPad. The Pro edition. The want an Apple TV. The want some new dress shoes. Mezlans.

What’s a loved on to do for the high maintenance, hard to buy for man in their life. Well, I offer a different approach. Instead of buying the big ticket items, gadgets, shoes, etc.; go a lot deeper. It’s going to take some thought, and you’ll need to some time, but get him the thoughtful items on the periphery he may not think about, but are practical, thoughtful, and sweet.

The sartorial clothes horse in your life will buy his own shoes, pants, and pocket squares, but he may overlook the hidden details. Pointed collars. Collar stays are an important, but crucial element in achieving the he-has-his-shit-together-look. In 2015, the collar stay is still a less used item and will be a welcome addition to his wardrobe. Your fella may have gotten tailer made shirts, but those collar points will need stiffening. Get a set of brass stays and your dude knows you are paying attention. It’s a thoughtful gift that is both practical and poignant. Plus, it’s the gift that gives back each and every business meeting from now until he loses them.

2. A Wand

You know you want one, admit it.

I kid you not, a wand. Most of us are fans of fiction. Science fiction, fantasy, or detective novels make great reads on a long flight. And easy gift is an essential element, object, or item from your beau’s favorite fictional work. If he’s an HP fan, a wand is great. Star Ways, Kylo Ren’s light saber. I know what you’re thinking, “Will that’s a ridiculous gift.” It really isn’t. Why? Because, deep down inside, your busy bodied businessman is a child. And he really wants the thing because it’s cool, but your guy is also very practical and knows that such a purchase is a frivolity. By getting this gift, you’re acknowledging his nerdiness, and giving him a pass because he won’t feel guilty about getting it for himself.

3. Special Occassion Drawlz

After a brown liquor week, he’ll want you to get in his drawlz.

The relationship between men and their underpants is infamous. Even for the most put-together gentlemen, he’ll wear underwear until they disintegrate. There’s even an economical index tracking men’s underwear sales against the broader economy. Buy your boy a couple of pairs of special occasion underwear and he’ll know you’re still hot for him. No tighty whities, or boxers, or colored briefs. We’re talking super silky, handcrafted, italian drawlz worn for date night out, dinner after signing the mega-million dollar deal, or crushing an ornery customer. He’ll appreciate the underwear. Just hint about potential hanky panky after Manhattans at the club. Just be sure to reciprocate by wearing something borderline-tasteless under your dress.

4. An Experience

At some point, a professional who’s about their business will reach a level of maturity where are no longer important, but experiences are more desirable and meaningful. Skydiving, the BMW Driving School, a Special Ops Course taught be ex-Navy Seals, or equivalent make a great gift. Choose something he hasn’t done before, and get one lesson. Busy pros don’t have a lot of time, and he may not have time for a series of lessons. Furthermore, getting one lesson gives him the choice of engaging in a new pursuit if he enjoys the experience. Avoid golf lessons, or hobbiest exploits. Go for the different and the exotic. You may need to pay a little for the more exotic experiences, but if its awesome he’ll definitely be talking about it for Christmases in the future.

5. Content

All work and no play makes Will something, something.

I’m not talking about a $100 iTunes gift card. If you’re beau is into movies, a signed vintage poster of his favorite flick is awesome gift. A movie premier, a real one in Hollywood, is also an awesome gift. Vinyl is a trending fad right now, get him a signed album or an acetate press of one of his classic bands. If he’s a gamer, look online and pick up an old SEGA Genesis or SNES and get some games so he could relive the good ole days.

Bonus 0: Sentimentality

Somebody’s gettin’ some

Do you remember your first date? Or how about the first movie you saw together? What about that time you visited the art museum and looked behind that statue? Wasn’t that meal on the Mexican beach romantic? Get an old photo of you stretched on canvas mounted in a spectacular frame, hire a chef to prepare coffee steak and papayas in your back yard, or go online and find that classic train you saw at Disney World that one year for vacation. Find the hard to find and hard to classify and gift that for your special guy.

Bonus 1: Booze

The good shit…

Every professional is going to grind out a rough week or what I call, “brown liquor weeks”. Get your man a bottle of the good shit. You’ll know it when you see it in the liquor store. A great bottle of whisky. A bottle of Cuvee’ de Cinq Centenaire, or that, “vodka I know you like”, will go a long way. He’ll appreciate it on special occasions, and to take the edge off every now and then.

Bonus 2: Time

Better than staying in a van down by the river.

Time is something we’ll never get back. You can be really generous by giving your hardworking lover a weekend away to a golf resort, cabin in the woods, Vegas rockstar weekend, or Spa World. It should be any place out of Dodge. Some women (and men) have issues with the gift of time, but trust me he’ll appreciate it. Furthermore, you’ll demonstrate you have the esteem and confidence in your relationship to trust him while he’s away.

These are a few gift ideas you can use to get the man who has everything. Unfortunately, these aren’t gifts you can get by running down to your local Big Box. You’ll need to think about these gifts, and place several factors into consideration. You’ll need to know something about the man and his manner, and put a little thought in the gesture.

But, what’s great about these gift ideas, is that won’t collect dust on a shelf. Or relegated to the dustbins of memory. They may cost you a little money, but they’ll definitely cost less than the crap he’d buy himself.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One thought on “5 Gift Ideas for the Man Who Has Everything”

OMG Will! This advice is amazing. My CEO husband, I know deep down….he wants the wand. No need for him to admit it, I could buy it for his birthday or next Christmas and he would secretly be so happy And, in fact, I bought him Grand Marnier Cent Cinquantenaire a few Christmases ago, and I had no idea this GM Quintessence was a thing. Guess what I’ll be looking for? Thank you SO much for your advice. Reading this post has let me know what I’m supposed to be doing for my other half of 20+ years!